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Recycle More. It's Easy To Do.

Best Workplaces for recycling Check out our annual list of “Best Workplaces for Recycling.”

Be a better recycler podcast Watch the ‘be a better recycler’ video online or subscribe to the podcast through iTunes to learn how to make recycling more convenient and effective.

Food scrap recycling Already know all about household recycling? Why not learn more about food scrap recycling? Visit "Recycle Food. It’s Easy To Do."

The Recycle More. It’s Easy to Do campaign encourages increased recycling among residents and businesses in King County. A series of TV and radio ads, a podcast, one on one assistance to businesses and multifamily complexes, and other outreach activities were developed to address barriers to recycling. The Recycle Food. It’s Easy to Do campaign was launched in 2008.

• Residential Recycling Campaign
• Multifamily Recycling Campaign
• Commercial Recycling Campaign
• Recycle Food

Residential recycling campaign

A 2006 audit (PDF, 90 K) conducted with nine families revealed that most families recycle, but don't recycle much because it's either inconvenient or messy. For example, the farther they were from their recycling bins, the less likely they were to walk there. With this information, radio, TV and print ads and a podcast were developed to provide residents with messages aimed at making recycling convenient and easy. Results at the end of one year demonstrated an increase in recycling, and the campaign is continuing.

Recycle More media campaign
http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/multimedia.asp

Multifamily recycling campaign

A pilot program to improve recycling at condominiums and apartments targeted five large complexes in King County. The outreach program included coordination with garbage haulers, meetings with building managers, translations of recycling information for non-English speaking residents, tenant meetings, and recycling tote bags for residents in selected buildings. The results of the pilot were varied, but definitely demonstrated that hands-on assistance is the key to increasing a multifamily recycling program.

Tips for Multifamily Recycling:

• Provide the do’s and don’ts of recycling in the language spoken by the residents.
• Focus recycling on the easiest materials to collect: cardboard, newspaper, and mixed paper.
• Provide large and readable signs with photos of what to recycle for recycling and garbage containers.
• Place a labeled container in the mailbox area to capture junk mail.
• Get to know the the garbage hauler, complex manager and residents to prevent contamination and to solve problems.

King County Multifamily Case Studies 2008
Studies of three complexes in King County (PDF, 65 K)

King County Multifamily Report 2008
Findings from the pilot multifamily study (PDF, 229 K)

Commercial recycling campaign

A commercial recycling program targeted businesses that could demonstrate cost savings with by increasing recycling, especially paper, cardboard and organics. Ten businesses participated in the program. A surprise in the study was the quantity of organics that could be diverted from the garbage to collection for local composting.

Tips for business recycling:

• Know what's in your company's trash; it's the first step toward more effective recycling.
• Set a goal for improving recycling performance, communicate the goal to employees and devise methods for measuring results.
• Appoint a "Chief Recycling Officer" who can educate and motivate fellow employees, and help measure performance.
• Choose from a large group of local recyclers to pick up materials. Visit the What Do I Do With…? Web site for material-specific information. Businesses can work individually with private recyclers to set up a service that meets their needs. Several cities, including Auburn, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Snoqualmie and Tukwila, provide free recycling services for their business communities.
• Encourage employees to recycle in the workplace by making recycling a part of your company's culture.

King County Commercial Report 2008
Findings from the pilot program (PDF, 65 K)

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